Harry Potter and the Escape from the Dursleys
by MegOfAllTrades
Summary: Revised and reposted! Harry finally escapes the Dursleys in the summer after his fourth year, but he isn't doing so well...
1. Chapter 1, in which Harry is rescued

Disclaimer and A/N: You know the drill; I don't own any of the characters here, they belong to the wonderful Ms. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros., etc. The plot is mine, although no plagiarism or copyright infringement is intended. 

            This is just an idea I had. I know several people have had similar ideas, but this is my take on the whole let's-abuse-Harry thing. Hermione and Ron are in this, but this will NOT, repeat NOT involve romance or slashiness of any kind so people looking for a romance fic can bugger off; they won't find that here. While this is my first fic, this is a repost of an earlier version, which has been newly edited for your reading pleasure. Please r/r! Constructive criticism is helpful.

Harry Potter and the Escape from the Dursleys

By

Megofallltrades

Part 1: Remus and Sirius get a Letter 

            Remus Lupin sat in a battered wing chair in his living room and watched Sirius Black pace the length of the room. "Sirius, pacing isn't going to solve anything. I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason that Harry hasn't written, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with Voldemort. If- " He was cut off by a frantic tapping on the window. He looked up to see a large snowy owl perched on the windowsill. Sirius opened the window and Hedwig soared in, landing on the back of the sofa. 

            "That's Harry's owl." Sirius said, taking the letter she held on an outstretched leg. "That's not Harry's handwriting, though."

            "No, I believe that's Hermione's. I don't know why she'd be writing me, though." With that, Remus opened the letter that Sirius handed him.

_Dear Professor Lupin,_

_            I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing to you. I was wondering if you'd heard from Harry recently? I stayed with the Weasley's last week for Ginny's birthday and Ron says that he hasn't heard from him in awhile. Hedwig showed up at my house and when I tried to send a letter she came back with it! Ron and I are quite worried; so is Mrs. Weasley. We were wondering if it would be possible for you to check on Harry? The Dursleys couldn't care less about him; in the summer before our second year they actually locked him in his room and practically starved him. Please reply soon, and say hello to Snuffles for us, if he's there._

_                                    Yours,_

_                                    Hermione Granger_

"That's it! I'm going over there right now!" exclaimed Sirius.

            "Sirius, _think_ for a moment, would you?" said an exasperated Remus. "You have no wand, no way of getting back even if I did get you there, and no way of getting Harry. In addition, I somehow doubt that Dumbledore would be very pleased with us if we went over there and took Harry."

            "Well, that's why you should call him and explain that we're going."

            "Fine. I will call him and explain why I would like to go and check on Harry and possibly bring him back here."

            Remus strode over to the fireplace and grabbed a small jar of sparkly purple powder off of the mantelpiece, he tossed a small pinch into the fire and said, "Albus Dumbledore!"  After about half a minute Dumbledore's head appeared in the flames. "Remus! What a pleasant surprise. May I ask what you've called about?"

            "Yes, well Albus, I just received a letter from Miss Hermione Granger concerning Harry Potter. She and Ron Weasley are quite worried that Harry hasn't written them in awhile and would like me to check on him. I'd like your permission to do so, and to possibly bring him back here for the remainder of the summer. I know he's protected at his relatives' house, but he's very unhappy there and he hasn't written Sirius or me for a couple of weeks now. To be frank, I'm getting somewhat worried myself, and Sirius is currently in the process of wearing a track into my carpet from all of the pacing he's been doing."

            Dumbledore frowned slightly, thought for a minute and said, "Well, I don't see why he can't stay at your house. It is out of the way and in an isolated area. As long as you are careful to avoid detection when you collect him, I see no reason why you shouldn't.  Oh, and Sirius should not go with you. As much as he would like to, it isn't safe for him to go with. Do let me know how Harry is tomorrow, Remus. Goodbye." With that, his head disappeared from the fire with a slight _pop._

            Remus went into his small bedroom, collected his traveling cloak and then came back into the living room. He announced, "Right, I'm off. I'll take the Floo Network to Arabella's house, go collect Harry, and bring him back here. And no Sirius, you can't come with me." 

Sirius pouted, and asked "How are you getting his things back here? Planning on hauling a heavy school trunk down Privet Drive, are you?"

            Remus smirked and said "Of course not. I'll simply cast a dampening spell and shrink it. I should get going now, if we want to be back in any reasonable amount of time." With that said, he walked over to the fireplace, took a pinch of Floo powder and stepped into the fire, saying "Cat's Cove!"

Part 2: Harry 

            While all of this was transpiring, the boy in question lay on his bed, trying to sleep. He was a fairly thin, tall fourteen year old boy with messy black hair, almost luminous green eyes behind round glasses, and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. He hadn't been sleeping too well of late, plagued by nightmares of the Third Task. His relatives couldn't care less though, and had been running him ragged with chores. He didn't want to complain; his uncle's company hadn't been doing so well as of late, and Vernon had taken to drinking. Vernon also tended to become violent when he was drunk, so Harry figured it was best to just do what he was told and try and stay out of his uncle's way when he wasn't doing chores. He wasn't entirely successful though, and was sporting some rather large and painful bruises on his back and chest where Vernon had hit him.

            He hadn't written to his friends in a while, either. He had wanted to, certainly, but his uncle had threatened to shoot Hedwig if he saw her with a letter. The insane-murderer-for-a-godfather trick wasn't working too well, as the Dursleys now believed he was making the whole thing up. Harry sighed. He missed Hedwig and his friends; if only he could have written to them! But his uncle had locked his window, effectively cutting off any owl post.

            He wondered if he should maybe try to start his Charms homework, as it wasn't looking like he'd be going to sleep anytime soon. He wished he could at least flip through _Flying With the Cannons _again, but he had only managed to hide a couple of his schoolbooks when he got wind of the fact that Uncle Vernon was going to padlock his trunk shut. At least the Dursleys were all safely asleep he thought, listening to his piggish cousin Dudley snoring in the next room. All of a sudden, he heard a tapping on his window. He looked up to see Remus Lupin levitating outside his window! His jaw dropped. Harry padded over to his desk and scribbled a note on a piece of paper which he held up so Remus could see: _The window is locked._

            Even through the window Remus noticed how thin Harry had gotten, the circles under his eyes, and how pale he looked. Harry held up the note. He pulled out his wand, cast a dampening spell, and whispered "Alohomora!" The window unlocked, and he pulled it open. 

            "Professor, what are you doing here? If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead! Plus, you just used magic, so the Ministry will think I've done magic over the holidays!" whispered Harry.

            "No time for that, Harry. I'm getting you out of here. Dumbledore's letting you stay at my house for the rest of the summer. I cast a dampening spell; the Ministry won't notice if I cast magic. Is everything in your trunk?"

            "No, some of my books and a little bit of food is under a loose floorboard under the bed." whispered Harry.

            Remus proceeded to unlock Harry's trunk while Harry quickly and quietly grabbed the few things from under his bed. Tossing them in the trunk, he closed it. Remus then shrunk Harry's trunk to about the size of a matchbox and pocketed it. He listened to see if the Dursley's were all safely asleep, which they were. 

            "Professor, how did you get up here? How are we getting back down?" Harry whispered anxiously.

            "I levitated myself up, and I'll levitate you down, then myself. Grab Hedwig's cage, and let's go. We'll go to Arabella Figg's house; we can use her fireplace to get to my house."

            "Wait, Mrs. Figg is a witch?"

            "Yes, she is, now let's go." With that, Remus hastily left a note for Harry's relatives, levitated Harry out the window and down to the ground, and then levitated himself down.

            Remus landed, and noticed Harry leaning against the side of the house looking pale. "Harry, are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm okay, just a little dizzy is all." Harry replied. Remus was still a little worried, but they set off to Mrs. Figg's house, where she was waiting for them.

 "Remus, I'll contact you later, all right?" she said.

 "Of course, Arabella." He replied. Remus threw some Floo powder into the waiting fire and said "Lupin's den!" Harry followed suit, and eventually fell out of a fireplace into a rather small but clean kitchen. He felt very nauseous; he hated traveling by Floo powder. Sirius helped him up, Remus having gone to put Harry's trunk in the guest bedroom.

 "Harry, are you okay?" Sirius asked, noticing that Harry looked fairly green.

 "I think I'm gonna be sick." Harry moaned. Sirius rushed Harry out into the hall and into the bathroom just in time. Sirius held him while he lost what little he'd had to eat that day into the toilet. When he was done, Sirius flushed the toilet and wet a washcloth at the sink, which he wiped Harry's face with. 

            "Feeling any better, kid?" he asked.

"Not especially." Harry mumbled. "What a way to arrive, huh?" He grinned weakly. Sirius simply helped him down the hall and into the small but cozy bedroom Remus had set up for Harry. Harry sat on one of the twin beds, took off his shoes and curled up into a small ball as Remus looked up, concerned, as they came in.

 "What happened?" he asked. 

"Oh, I just puked my guts out, is all." muttered Harry as Sirius sat down on the end of the bed. 

"Have you been feeling ill for long?" asked Remus. 

"Since about yesterday." 

Remus pulled a chair next to the bed and felt Harry's forehead. "Yes, you're running a fever. Accio!" A small and battered brown leather bag zoomed into the room. Remus started rummaging through it. 

"Professor Lupin, why do you have a doctor's bag?" Harry asked, curious.

 "Well, there's a basic first-aid kit in there, among other things. I usually have at least a couple of injuries after a full moon that I have to take care of, and I do happen to be a C.M.W. you know." 

"What's a C.M.W.?"

"It stands for Certified Medi-Wizard. I have a little more expertise than a nurse, but not quite as much as a doctor. I can perform first aid as well as diagnose and treat most mild to moderate illnesses. Madam Pomfrey, for example, holds the same degree as I do; she is a certified medi-witch. Ah, here we are." Remus said, finally locating the thermometer he'd been looking for. "All right Harry, open up." 

Harry spent the next several minutes with the thermometer sticking out of his mouth until it emitted a soft _ping_ and Remus took it out. "102 degrees- oh, my." Remus then proceeded to gently feel Harry's throat and jaw, looked at his eyes, and used a tongue depressor to look at the back of his throat. "Hmm, purple circles around the iris, purple spots at the back of the throat." he muttered to himself. He then handed Harry his wand, which emitted bright green sparks and almost shot out of his hand. He quickly retrieved it and sat back in his chair.

"Well, that just confirmed it. Harry, you have Hawthorne's Flu. It's very similar to muggle flu in most respects. Has many of the same symptoms: fever, chills, coughing, nausea, etc. It also has several very distinctive symptoms: Purple circles around the iris of the eye, purple spots at the back of the throat, and the most distinctive, magical instability. And much like the regular kind of flu, it can turn into pneumonia if not properly treated. It's a good thing I picked you up when I did; any later and this could have been much more serious. First things first; we need to bring your temperature down, and then you need to get some sleep. I can tell you haven't been sleeping too well of late, and that can weaken your immune system, which certainly won't help matters. I'll be right back with a fever reducer." With that, Remus stood up and left. 

"While we're waiting, why don't I find you a pair of pajamas?" said Sirius, who got up and opened Harry's trunk. He quickly located an overlarge nightshirt that used to be Dudley's, which he tossed over to Harry. Harry quickly removed his shirt and jeans and slipped the nightshirt on, but not before Sirius noticed the bruises on Harry's back and chest. "Harry, where did you get those?" Sirius asked. 

"Um, I fell down the stairs?" Harry offered. 

Sirius gave him a stern, yet concerned, look. "All right, I'll ask you again: where did you get those bruises?" 

Harry ducked his head and mumbled "Uncle Vernon." 

Sirius restrained himself from shoving a fist through a wall at this point. "Damn muggle! I'll-" 

Remus came back into the room carrying a cup of potion. "What in the name of Merlin has got you so upset Sirius? You look about ready to kill something." 

"The bruises Harry has courtesy of his damned uncle should explain that." Sirius snarled. " 

Remus set the cup down on the table and lifted up Harry's nightshirt. He lightly prodded two or three of the largest bruises to see if they were more serious than they looked, and then put the shirt back down. "Well, I can't imagine that these feel very good, but there's no major damage here. Sirius and I will be speaking to Dumbledore tomorrow about this, but for right now you need sleep." He handed the cup of potion to Harry, which he drained. "It'll bring your temperature down and will also make you fairly drowsy, so you'll hopefully get a good night's sleep." 

Sirius removed Harry's glasses and tucked the blankets around him. "Good night, Harry. I'll see you in the morning, okay." The potion was already working, and Harry managed to murmur "G'night Sirius" before he fell asleep. 

Remus said, "We should get some sleep also, Sirius. We'll talk to Dumbledore in the morning." Sirius stayed in his chair by Harry's bedside. 

"I'll stay here tonight. I can't leave him." He all but whispered. 

Remus sighed and said, "All right, but at least promise me you'll get some sleep.". Sirius stayed by Harry's side for another hour, simply watching him sleep. He dozed off in his chair, and half an hour later Remus tiptoed back into the room and gently lifted him off the chair and onto the other bed.

Part 3: Visits 

The next morning Harry awoke to find Sirius in a tangle of sheets on the other bed across the room. He sniggered softly at the sight, which was fairly amusing. It was rather early in the morning, so he had some time to take in his surroundings, which he hadn't really noticed the night before. He was obviously in a guest bedroom; it contained two twin beds with metal frames and two white-painted nightstands, and there were cheerful yellow and green curtains at the window. Looking around, the walls were papered with slightly old-fashioned wallpaper with a predominantly yellow pattern, and there was a light green rug on the wood floor. 

Remus soon came into the room and noticed that Harry was awake. "Good morning Harry, although I can't imagine that you'd feel it's such a good morning." he said good-naturedly. 

"Are you kidding? I don't have to go back to the Dursleys for the rest of the summer? I don't care if I am sick; this is a great morning." 

Remus smiled. "Nice to know you feel that way." He felt Harry's forehead and said "Good, you're fever is mostly gone. Do you think you're up to eating anything?" 

Harry blanched at the thought of food. "Um, I don't think so; my stomach's still pretty twitchy." 

"All right then, do you at least want something to drink?"  

Harry considered this and said "Some juice would be okay." 

"Juice it is. Now, what do you say we wake Sirius?" Harry grinned as Remus bent over the rumpled figure on the cot and poked him until he flung a pillow at Remus. "Good, you're awake. Go get dressed; I'm making breakfast and then we're giving Dumbledore a call." Sirius grumbled, rolled off the cot and stumbled into the bathroom. Remus went into the kitchen and got Harry a glass of apple juice, which he brought into Harry's room along with another potion. "Here you go, although you might want to take the potion first. It should settle your stomach so that you can at least eat something by lunchtime." Harry downed the potion and then started to sip his juice. Remus smiled at him and ruffled his hair before retrieving the vial that had held the potion and leaving to make breakfast. 

            After Sirius vacated the bathroom, he came into Harry's room. "Good morning Harry. How're you feeling?" he asked. 

"A little better." Harry replied. "Um, Sirius, is it okay if I go use the bathroom?" Sirius helped him out of bed, much to Harry's embarrassment, and directed him down the hall to the cottage's single bathroom. Remus came back down the hall and shooed Sirius into his room to get dressed, then once Harry was done helped him back to bed. 

"Now, once Sirius gets dressed, we're going to give Professor Dumbledore a call to discuss what to do about your relatives. Then I'm going to see if I can't head over to the Burrow to reassure the Weasleys as to your safety; they're very worried you know." Harry grinned and then yawned; he was still fairly tired. Remus went to find Sirius and Harry slept for most of the morning, even through Remus and Sirius' chat with Professor Dumbledore (in which there was quite a bit of yelling from Sirius and in which Remus had to restrain Sirius from Apparating to the Dursleys and turning Vernon into a horned slug.) Dumbledore contacted the muggle authorities and Vernon was quickly put under arrest for child abuse. 

Sirius settled down enough to sit on the couch and read the Daily Prophet while Remus paid a visit to the Burrow. The door was opened for him by Ron, who had been in the middle of a heated discussion about Quidditch with Charlie, who was visiting. "Professor Lupin! How is Harry? Did you get him? What happened? Can I see him?" exclaimed an anxious Ron. 

Remus raised his hands. "Slow down Ron. Yes, I did get him, he's ill and his uncle was beating him." 

"Oh my God!" gasped Ron. 

"Yes, well, he's staying with me and Snuffles for the rest of the summer." said Remus. 

Ron then remembered Charlie hadn't met Remus before and introduced him. "Charlie, this is Professor Lupin. You remember I told you about him; he taught Defense against the Dark Arts our third year." 

Charlie grinned and extended his hand, which Remus shook. "Charlie Weasley; second oldest. I work with dragons in Romania." 

Remus smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Charlie. Is Molly around?" 

Charlie thought a minute and replied "I think she's in the kitchen." 

All of a sudden a large explosion sounded from the twins' room as a bit of plaster fell from the ceiling. Mrs. Weasley could be heard shrieking a second later: "FRED! GEORGE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, NO PRANKS IN THE HOUSE!" Mrs. Weasley then came storming into the living room muttering to herself. "Honestly, don't know what to do with those two, be lucky if they graduate Hogwarts in one piece…" She brightened when she noticed Remus. "Remus! What a pleasant surprise! How is Harry? Have you heard from him? Oh, where are my manners today; sit down, please. Would you like something to drink?" 

"No, thank you Molly." Remus replied. "As I was saying to Ron before that…interesting diversion, Harry is ill, on top of being beaten by his uncle." Mrs. Weasley gasped. "We contacted the muggle law enforcement, and Vernon Dursley was arrested and is in jail. Harry is staying at my house. He isn't seriously ill thankfully; he has Hawthorne's flu, which I'm treating him for." 

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "Yes, that's been going around. Half of us have had it already; I wish the vaccine wasn't so scarce though." 

At this point, the twins ran into the kitchen. They were easily more noticeable than usual: Fred was bright purple while George was a violent shade of green. Remus took one look at them and burst out laughing. Charlie was laughing so hard he was crying, Ron was chuckling and even Mrs. Weasley was giggling a little. Fred and George cracked identical grins and said, "Sorry Mum, we were testing a new product, and the charm sort of backfired- we're not quite sure how long it'll last. We hope it's not permanent." Remus paused laughing long enough to cast the counter-charm at the twins, who returned to their normal appearance. 

Ron interjected at this point, "Mum? Can I go see Harry? I haven't seen him in awhile, and I know I would hate it if I was sick and couldn't see my friends." 

Mrs. Weasley frowned slightly and said, "I don't mind if you go see Harry, but Remus might." 

Ron turned to Remus and said "So can I see Harry then, please?" 

Remus smiled and said "I don't see why not. Perhaps we might want to visit Hermione first, though, and let her know how Harry's doing. She's welcome to come along as well, if her parents say it's alright." 

Ron grinned. "Let's go, then!"  

Remus turned back to Molly. "I'll return young Ronald here by 9pm, so I'll see you later."

One portkey later, Ron and Remus arrived in front of the Granger residence. Remus walked up and rang the doorbell, and the door was answered by Mr. Granger. 

"Hello, how can I help you?" he asked. 

Remus introduced himself and Ron. "Hello, my name is Remus Lupin and this is Ron Weasley; I was one of Hermione's professors and Ron is of course one of her friends. Another of her friends, Harry Potter, is staying at my house and Hermione was worried about is welfare. I stopped by to tell her how he's doing." 

Mr. Granger smiled and said, "Oh yes, she's been worried sick. Do come in; I'll tell her you're here." Ushering the two into the house, Mr. Granger shouted up the stairs "Hermione!  You have visitors!" 

A shout of "Coming, Dad!" came down the stairs, followed closely by Hermione, who was dressed casually in a blouse and jeans. Mr. Granger left the three in the hall as Hermione stopped short when she saw Remus and Ron. "Professor Lupin! Did you get my letter? Is Harry all right? What happened? Why wasn't he writing? Where-" 

Remus smiled and interrupted her. "Hermione, I went and retrieved Harry from his relatives' house last night. He's ill and was being abused by his uncle. Mr. Dursley is now in jail for child abuse and Harry is staying at my house for the rest of the summer. If you'd like, and your parents agree, you are more than welcome to come visit." 

Hermione was aghast at the news of Harry's predicament, but when told she could go see him was delighted. She immediately went and got her parents who, when the situation was explained to them, readily agreed that Hermione could visit Harry. Another portkey later, the three of them arrived back at the Lupin's Den.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope this doesn't suck too badly. Let me know what you think; suggestions are always welcome.Thanks to ravenclawmeg for the little tidbit about flu turning into pneumonia. And a special thanks going out to the always wonderful Andrew, my one and only. 


	2. Chapter 2, in which Harry gets visitors

Disclaimer: You all know the drill; I own nothing except for the concept of Hawthorne's flu and a CMW; those are all mine. ::grins::

Or as one other person put it, blah blah blah lawyers blah blah sue blah.

**Harry Potter and the Escape from the Dursleys**

By

Megofalltrades

Part 4: Visits

            Hermione, Ron, and Remus Lupin came through the front door and into the living room to find Harry up and out of bed. He was sitting on the couch with Sirius chatting about his old Marauder days.

            "Well, there was that one time James, Remus and I snuck into the Great Hall and rigged the Slytherin table so that the chairs would explode. Sent Snape face-first into a bowl of porridge the next morning- it was priceless!"

            The two of them were laughing hard at the memory (or mental image) of the prank. Harry looked up. 

"Ron! Hermione! I didn't know you guys were coming over." He said, slightly startled.

"Remus came over earlier this morning and said that you were sick and might like visitors." Ron said.

"Yes, I jumped at the chance to come visit. I know that I would feel terrible if I was ill and my friends didn't bother to write or visit." Hermione added.

"Thanks guys, it means a lot to me." Harry said, smiling. 

Remus had gone into the kitchen during this little discussion, and now poked his head into the living room. "Would anyone like some tea?" he asked.

Everyone assembled in the living room answered in the affirmative, and Remus fetched a tray from the kitchen with five cups and saucers, a steaming pot of blackcurrant tea, and a plate of biscuits and small cakes.

Everyone enjoyed their tea and spent the rest of the morning swapping jokes and stories of their summer activities ("Have you really started to revise for the O.W.L.s _already,_ Hermione?")

By around noon, Harry wasn't feeling very well again. His temperature was slightly up again, and he was feeling rather dizzy and tired. Sirius helped him back to his room, and Ron and Hermione were still in the living room looking somewhat awkward and out of place. 

"We could go; I mean, we're really only here to visit Harry…" Ron started.

Remus waved this off. "Nonsense Ron, I enjoy your and Hermione's company as well as I do Harry's. He just needs a short nap, is all. You two are more than welcome to stay for lunch and until Harry wakes up."

With that said, Remus walked into the kitchen and started preparing some soup and sandwiches for the four of them. Sirius and Ron sat on the sofa and started a spirited discussion on the merits and shortcomings of the Chudley Cannons. Hermione sat in one of the elderly wing chairs and contented herself with looking around the room. 

As her experience with magical households extended solely to the Burrow, she found the room very interesting. Among the weatherbeaten sofa and two battered wing chairs was a small coffee table on which rested a couple back issues of the Daily Prophet and a copy of Which Broomstick. A small houseplant stood on the end table, and a variety of interesting objects and photographs stood on the mantelpiece. A large bookshelf graced the wall to the left of the sofa, which was filled with a variety of magic and muggle books ranging anywhere from _Hogwarts, a History_ to _Common Household Charms: A Guide for the Less than Expert_ to the muggle _Physician's Desk Reference_ and _A Tale of Two Cities._ It seemed Remus had very eclectic tastes when it came to reading. The bookshelf also held a chess set and a small and elderly wizard's wireless. 

By now, the smells of homemade soup and ham sandwiches were starting to drift in from the kitchen, and Hermione didn't quite feel up to lunch. Truth be told, she wasn't feeling very well at all. Several days after she'd gotten back from the Burrow, she'd started feeling a little off. She wouldn't have decided to come visit Harry if she wasn't worried about his welfare. Her parents hadn't noticed, as she had kept to her room studying and didn't especially look ill.

However, the re-exposure to a magical environment and the smells of food all caught up with her in one fell swoop. She felt very nauseous and dizzy all of a sudden, and got up somewhat unsteadily from her chair. "Sirius, where's the bathroom?" she asked.

"It's down the hall, last door on the right." He answered, looking up to see Hermione running down the hallway, and heard the bathroom door slam shut a second later. Remus looked out of the kitchen.

"What on earth was that?" he asked.

"Hermione running to the loo." replied Ron.

Ten minutes later, and Hermione had not returned from the bathroom. Remus, becoming somewhat concerned, left the soup to simmer on the stove and walked down the hall to the bathroom. He rapped on the door, saying "Hermione? Are you all right in there?" Receiving no answer, he tried to open the doorknob only to find it wouldn't open. He unlocked the door and opened it to find Hermione slumped on the floor, leaning against the bathtub. It was painfully obvious from the smell of the bathroom what the problem was; she had quite clearly vomited. Hermione had her face in her hands and was shivering slightly. Remus gently helped her to her feet and got her a glass of water, then flushed the toilet. He carefully led her down the hall and into the guest bedroom that Harry was sleeping in. 

Remus helped Hermione to sit on the unoccupied bed and cast a privacy spell that created a screen in the middle of the room and incorporated a silencing spell, so that they would not wake Harry. Remus then pulled the chair next to the bed and turned his full attention to Hermione.

"Hermione, how long have you been feeling ill?" he asked, quietly. 

Hermione mustered her wits enough to say "I've been feeling a little off for about two or three days now. I haven't been really ill before now, though; I've felt more tired and a little dizzy, and I haven't been very hungry."

Remus put his hand against Hermione's forehead, registered that she was running a bit of a fever and located the thermometer in his medical bag. Hermione stared at the bag and managed to ask why he had it. 

"I'm a Certified Medi-Wizard." He explained. "I can perform basic first aid and diagnose and treat mild to moderate illnesses. I do need to see how high your fever is, though, so open your mouth, please."

Hermione obliged, and the thermometer _ping_ed softly three minutes later. Remus removed it and noted that she had a fever of 101 degrees. He then looked in her eyes and gently felt under her jaw and throat, noticing the purple circles in her eyes and slight swelling of the glands as he did so. He looked at the back of her throat, which featured purple spots, with a tongue depressor, and when he had finished Hermione began coughing. Remus conjured a glass of water, which she drank gratefully when she was done coughing. She set the glass down as Remus once more rummaged through his bag, finally producing a stethoscope. He told Hermione, who was looking rather quizzically at it, "That's quite a nasty cough; I'd like to see if you have any fluid in your lungs. But to do so, I sort of need for you to undo the top couple of buttons on your blouse." Hermione did so, and Remus noted that she did indeed have a slight amount of fluid in her lungs. When he was done, Hermione re-buttoned her blouse while Remus put everything back in his bag.

Hermione was still sitting up, somewhat uncomfortably, and Remus turned to her with a smile and said, "You know, I would think that you would be more comfortable lying down."

Hermione admitted that she had been rather uncomfortable sitting up, and laid down on the bed, pulling the sheets up around her. Remus sat back in his chair and proceeded to explain. "You have exactly what Harry has; Hawthorne's flu." He gave a brief description of Hawthorne's flu and its symptoms, and then continued. "You had said that you visited the Weasleys last week for Ginny's birthday?" Hermione nodded. "I strongly suspect that you caught it from one of them. Now, what I'm going to do is go get a fever reducer for you, and then I suggest that you take a nap. I expect Sirius and Ron will want lunch, so I'll come back and check on you in an hour or so, all right?" Hermione nodded again, and Remus smiled and patted her shoulder before getting up. He disabled the privacy spell, and came back in a minute carrying a cup of the fever-reducing potion. Hermione took the cup, but sniffed it hesitantly. 

"It smells like mint. Madam Pomfrey's potions don't smell nearly this good, and they don't taste very good either." she noted doubtfully. 

"Madam Pomfrey is of the opinion that a potion need not taste good for it to work. I, on the other hand, feel that if I'm going to drink something it should at least be palatable." Remus said.

She drank the potion and handed the cup back to Remus before pulling the bedcovers closely around herself and drifting off to sleep. Remus carried the cup back to the kitchen and then went to explain the situation to Ron and Sirius.

Part 5: Explanations

While Remus had been tending to Hermione, Sirius and Ron had remained in the living room. They had heard Remus go down the hall, retrieve Hermione and lead her into the bedroom, but they had not wanted to interrupt. When Remus came back into the living room, Ron immediately voiced their concerns.

"Is Hermione all right? We heard you take her into the bedroom, and I don't see her with you. What's wrong?" he asked..

"She has a good case of what Harry has; I suspect she caught it from one of your siblings, Ron. She'll be all right; she's taking a nap now, and I'll check on her again after we've finished lunch."

Sirius piped up, "She's muggle born, though. How is she going to receive treatment? You know it isn't safe to leave Hawthorne's flu untreated."

Remus nodded. "I've thought of that. I agree that it isn't safe to leave her untreated, and this afternoon I'm going to visit her parents and see if I can't get them to agree to let her stay here for a few days. I can easily care for her here, and it'll give her a little time to spend with Harry and Ron over the summer. If her parents don't agree, I suppose I could just give them a reference to a doctor I know."

So, with much discussion, the three of them had lunch, and Remus went to check on Harry and Hermione an hour later. He came into the room to notice that both Harry and Hermione were now awake, and chatting with each other. "So, how are you two feeling?" he asked.

"A little better." Responded Harry.

"Still not that good." Said Hermione.

"It's good to hear that you're feeling a little better, Harry." said Remus. "Are you still feeling nauseous, Hermione?" She nodded. "I'll bring you a potion to help settle your stomach, then I'm going to pay your parents a visit and see if I can't convince them to let you stay here for a few days. If they won't let you stay here, I'll take you back to your home and give your parents a reference to a good doctor I know of."

"But my house isn't connected to the Floo Network, it was only connected that one time because someone at the Regulation Panel owed Mr. Weasley a favor. And I don't have an owl or anything! There would be no way for a wizarding doctor to contact us. I'm sure my parents will let me stay here; just make sure to let them know that you're a CMW. Could you maybe get some of my clothes and things, and maybe Crookshanks? Oh, and my books; they're all in my schoolbag." 

Remus smiled and said, "I'll make sure to get your things Hermione, books and all. I don't think you'll want anything dear, but would you like something to eat now, Harry?" directing this last question at the occupant of the other bed. Harry considered this, and replied "I think I could eat something, as long as it isn't too heavy." Remus went and fetched a bowl of soup and some milk for Harry, and an anti-nausea potion for Hermione. He then Apparated to Hermione's house.

He knocked on the door to be greeted by Mrs. Granger. "Hello again, I see you've brought Hermione back…" She trailed off as she looked around Remus and realized that Hermione was nowhere to be seen. "…or not. I don't believe that you left anything; may I ask why you're here?" she asked, perplexed.

Remus said, "I need to explain a few things to you and your husband; may I come in?" 

"All- all right…" she said, still somewhat perplexed. She moved aside from the door and let Remus in, and led him to the living room where Mr. Granger was reading a book. He put his book down when he caught sight of Remus, sans Hermione. "Sit down, please." Mrs. Granger offered.

Remus sat, and immediately launched into his explanation. "I'm sure you've noticed Hermione isn't with me, and I know that I did not leave anything here on our last visit. I'll cut right to the point; Hermione became ill right before lunch, and I've discovered that she has exactly what her friend Harry has- Hawthorne's flu. I should point out here that I am a Certified Medi-Wizard, and perfectly qualified to diagnose and treat most illnesses. Now, Hawthorne's flu is very similar to the regular flu…" and here he went on to describe its symptoms, how Hermione caught it, and the need for proper treatment. "…now, when I say that Hawthorne's flu needs to be properly treated I mean of course that it needs to be treated magically. I realize that, being non-magical yourselves, you have no real resources to handle this sort of thing. What I suggest is that you let Hermione stay at my house until she's recovered, three days to a week at the most.  I could give you a reference to a doctor I know, but he would have to real way of contacting you, and I feel that it would be the most convenient for everyone concerned if Hermione were to stay at my house. She'll be perfectly safe there, I'll be able to treat her illness, and she'll be able to spend some time with her friends."

The Grangers considered this and, after some discussion among themselves, agreed to let Hermione stay with Remus. Mr. Granger spoke up, "Now, we can of course pay you for this-" 

Remus waved this suggestion off, saying "Oh, there's no need for that. I don't want paying. I just need to collect some of Hermione's clothing, personal effects, books, and possibly her cat. She said she wanted to have Crookshanks with her." Mrs. Granger led him upstairs and to her bedroom, where her things and Crookshanks were summarily collected. Crookshanks was to be found snoozing in a patch of sun on her bed, and was not happy about being woken. Despite this, Remus put her things together in a small bag that he conjured, and picked Crookshanks up in his other hand. He bade the Grangers goodbye, with a promise that he would come back tomorrow to let them know how Hermione was doing, and Disapparated.

A/N: I'm evil! But bad things hardly ever happen to Hermione, and I wanted to throw that one in there. A big thank you to all my reviewers; I didn't think I'd get such a positive response so early on. And of course a shout out to my favorite reviewer, even if he didn't post one, the always wonderful Andrew.


	3. Chapter 3, in which we learn something i...

Disclaimer: If any of these characters belonged to me, I wouldn't be a poor starving college student, now would I?

Part 6: Discussions

            Remus, along with Crookshanks and Hermione's belongings, appeared with a small pop in his front yard. It was now getting on to be dusk, and the golden rays of the setting sun illuminated his front garden in a very pleasant manner as he opened the front door and went inside. Sirius was sitting on the sofa attempting the crossword in the Daily Prophet, and looked up as Remus shut the front door.

            "Well, how did it go Moony?" Sirius asked. "I'm guessing by the fact that I see a very unhappy Crookshanks and a very heavy looking bookbag that Hermione's parents have agreed to let her stay here for a few days."

            Remus replied, "Yes they did Padfoot, and where did Ron get off to?"

            "The three of them are in the bedroom; Hermione badgered me into letting her read one of your books, and I think Ron and Harry are playing chess." Sirius said.

            Remus set off down the hall and entered his second spare bedroom to find it just as Sirius had said: Hermione was sitting propped against a couple of pillows reading what appeared to be his rather worn and dog-eared copy of A History of Magic. Ron was sitting in the chair next to Harry's bed; they had pulled the nightstand between them and had used it to set the chess board on. Harry appeared to be losing spectacularly, a fact that was confirmed as Ron deftly captured Harry's king with a bishop and triumphantly said "Checkmate! Ha, I win again!"

            Harry groaned and said, "I'm no good at this. Want to play Exploding Snap?"

            Ron collected the chess set together and looked up to notice Remus in the doorway. "You're back! Hope you don't mind that we borrowed your chess set but we were dead bored, and Sirius said you wouldn't mind." 

            Remus came into the room and set Hermione's schoolbag and other things next to her bed and then deposited Crookshanks on the bed. Hermione looked up as the large ginger cat settled itself into her lap and started purring loudly. "Remus, you're back! I take it my parents agreed to let me stay here then."

            "Yes, they did. I brought some of your clothing and pajamas, as well as some toilet articles and, of course, your schoolbooks." Remus said, gesturing to the pile of things next to the bed. 

            "Oh, thank you!" Hermione said, smiling enthusiastically. She set the copy of History of Magic on the bedside table and asked "Can you please hand me my bookbag?" Remus did so as Ron looked over and groaned.

            "Oh, no! Now she'll never let up about studying! Honestly Hermione, if I were sick I'd take the opportunity to lay off work. Especially since it's the summer, too!" Hermione simply shot him an annoyed look as he turned back to Harry. "Guess it's only to be expected; remember second year?" Harry grinned; he did indeed remember the infamous Polyjuice Potion incident. Remus, however, looked politely puzzled. 

"What happened in second year?" he asked, curious.

            Ron and Harry exchanged glances, and started explaining all about their desire to find out if Draco Malfoy was the Heir of Slytherin by using Polyjuice Potion. "…And then Hermione comes out and she's got cat ears and a tail; it turns out the hair she used actually came from Millicent Bulstrode's cat, not Millicent Bulstrode. She was in the infirmary for a month before Madam Pomfrey could clear the whole thing up, and she insisted that we bring her assignments every night!" explained Ron. "Honestly, if I'd been turned into a cat…"

            Remus smiled, shook his head, and said "Although I can't exactly approve of your brewing an illicit potion, at least your hearts were in the right place. I am curious though, not only that you managed to brew such a difficult potion, but also that you managed to find both the recipe and ingredients, since I believe the recipe is only to be found in a book in the Restricted Section of the library, and several ingredients could only have been found in Professor Snape's private stores." 

            Harry grinned at this. "Well, you can blame that on Hermione. The whole thing was her idea, really; she's the one who brewed the potion, and she's the one who got Lockhart to sign a permission slip for the book. Heck, she's the one who pinched the ingredients from Snape's cupboard. Well, after I tossed a firework into Malfoy's cauldron to distract him, that is."

            Sirius had come in at some point during this narrative and was grinning widely. "Brilliant! An inspired prank, worthy of the Maurauders themselves." He proclaimed. "When's lunch, Moony?"

            Remus rolled his eyes and said "I'll be starting it in a little bit; is food all you can ever think about?"

            Sirius replied "Of course it is! You know me Moony, there are only two things on my mind: girls and food, as you used to say."

            Ron and Harry had started a game of Exploding Snap and were chuckling at this exchange. Even Hermione could be seen smiling over her O.W.L. study guide. Remus simply smiled and headed out to the kitchen to start making lunch, and Sirius went to finish reading the newspaper. 

            Ron finished his card game with Harry, and decided to go see what Sirius was up to when Hermione started questioning Harry about what schoolwork he had finished. Ron found Remus in the kitchen, cooking, and Sirius sniggering over the personal ads in the paper while sipping at a glass of pumpkin juice. All of a sudden, Sirius started laughing so hard at one particularly amusing ad that he accidentally inhaled some of his juice and started coughing violently. He set down the now damp paper and downed the rest of his juice in an attempt to stop coughing. Remus came out of the kitchen looking concerned. "Are you all right in here Sirius? I hope you aren't getting sick too; I'm not sure how well you'd be able to handle a bout with Hawthorne's flu at this point."  

            Sirius waved a hand nonchalantly at Remus and managed to gasp out between chuckles "I'm fine Remus; I was reading the personal ads..." he gestured feebly towards the paper as a fresh bout of laughing ensued. He calmed down enough after a few minutes to reassure Remus. "I'm fine; I was laughing hard, and some juice went down the wrong pipe is all." Remus frowned and said "The thought does occur to me, however, that you really _can't_ handle a bout with Hawthorne's flu, not with the state your system is in. You've had two colds this summer as it is. I would personally feel much more secure if you could be vaccinated against this; I'm sure you'll be spending as much time as possible with Harry." 

            Ron interjected at this point "Mum says that the vaccine for this is fairly scarce and she wishes that the rest of us who haven't been sick already could be inoculated. She didn't say why it was so scarce though."

            Remus nodded and replied "The vaccine for Hawthorne's flu is so scarce because the only real way to make one is to use blood from someone who is infected, and it has to be compatible with the blood type of whoever is receiving the vaccine. It would be very difficult to tailor-make a vaccine to everyone who wanted one, and while type O-negative blood is compatible with anyone there are very few wizards who have that blood type. I am seriously considering looking around to see if I can't find someone of Sirius' blood type who has Hawthorne's flu, though."

            Ron shuddered, and said "Rather him than me, though. What blood type is he? Half of my family has had it."

            Remus noticed Ron's reaction to the thought of an inoculation and smiled. "I take it that you don't like needles then, Ron?" Ron shook his head vehemently. "And Sirius' blood type is A+."

            Ron looked rueful. "Sorry; everyone in my family has type AB+ blood. Guess I can't help you there. Why not check with Harry or Hermione though?" he offered.

            Remus looked thoughtful. "You know, I may just do that." The oven dinged, and Remus went into the kitchen to retrieve everyone's food. Remus brought Harry another bowl of soup and some juice. Hermione declined the soup but agreed to a glass of juice. They all had a pleasant meal, and afterwards Ron came to say goodbye to Harry before he left. 

            Remus came into the room after Ron, and looked at Harry and Hermione before asking them a question. "Harry, do you happen to know what blood type you have? I need to know." 

            Harry frowned slightly. "No, I'm afraid that I don't know. Why?" Before answering, Remus pulled out his wand. Harry eyed it suspiciously. "What's that for?"

            Seeing the dubious expression on Harry's face, Remus chuckled slightly and patted Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry Harry, the only thing I want to do with this is perform a Blood Typing Charm. It doesn't hurt; all it does is register your blood type and change color depending on what it is. Could you hold your hand out for me please?" Harry complied, still looking somewhat suspicious. Remus pointed his wand at Harry's hand and muttered "Ferroulius."

            Harry's hand glowed a bright Kelly green for several seconds, then faded back to its normal color. Remus shook his head, muttering "No, that's B+. No good there." He then turned his attention to Hermione, who was looking curious. "Hermione, would you mind if I were to perform the same charm on you?" She replied that she wouldn't mind, and Remus repeated the process. Her hand glowed bright red for a few seconds and then faded. Remus looked astonished. "My goodness- O-." At Hermione's questioning look, he elaborated. "It's exceptionally rare for wizards to have that particular blood type. It's also compatible with any other type, not just it's own. The reason I've performed this charm on the both of you is that I'd like to see if I can't vaccinate Sirius against Hawthorne's flu; his immune system isn't really up to scratch and we really can't have him getting sick. The problem is that the vaccine for Hawthorne's flu must be made with infected blood that is compatible with that of the recipient of the vaccine. While Sirius has a rather common blood type, there just isn't any way to make a vaccine on a wide enough scale because it would be too hard to tailor-make a vaccine for each wizard. However, since Hermione has a blood type compatible with anyone, it would be possible to make one. That is, of course, assuming that you'll agree to donate a small amount of blood and if your parents agree." 

            Hermione looked thoughtful at this and finally said "I wouldn't have a problem with it, and if you explain all that to my parents they'll probably agree." 

            Remus smiled and said "That's good to hear. Now, I'm going to escort Ron home, have a chat with Molly, and then I'll be back here." Ron bade Harry and Hermione goodbye, and left the room. Remus followed him, and after Ron said goodbye to Sirius they both traveled back to the Burrow through the Floo Network.

Part 7: Nightmares 

            Ron and Remus fell out of the fireplace in the Weasleys' kitchen to be greeted by Mrs. Weasley. "Ron, you're back! Where is Hermione- I was rather hoping she would stop by before she went home." 

            Dusting himself off, Remus replied "Well, apparently when she visited for Ginny's birthday she caught a good case of Hawthorne's flu from one of you, and she became ill while at my house. I visited her parents, and they've agreed to allow her to stay at my house for the next few days so that she can be treated." Mrs. Weasley nodded, looking somewhat dismayed that Hermione had become ill because of one of them. Remus continued "She'll be perfectly fine, but I did find something interesting. I've been wanting to obtain the vaccine because Sirius, who is staying with me, has been ill twice already this summer. You know that the vaccine is somewhat scarce, but I can make it myself if I had blood that was compatible with Sirius'. Apparently, Hermione has O- blood, compatible with any type. Ron mentioned that you were wanting to vaccinate those of you who haven't been ill already, and it would be a simple matter to make enough of the vaccine. Assuming, that is, that Hermione's parents will agree to this." 

            Mrs. Weasley beamed at this and said "I hope they do. I've already been ill, and so have Arthur, Charlie, and Percy. But Ginny hasn't gotten sick, and neither have the twins or Ron." Ron winced slightly at his name- he'd been hoping his mother wouldn't mention him. 

            Remus smiled and said "I suspect her parents will agree; I'll call you tomorrow and let you know. If they do, send Ginny and the twins along; I suspect Ron will want to come over again tomorrow anyway. I must be going though, so I'll talk to you tomorrow." With that said, Remus got up and Disapparated back home.

            For the remainder of the day everyone kept mainly to themselves; Hermione helped Harry with some of his summer assignments, Sirius and Remus each took care of various projects, and after an argument with Sirius over which of them got to use the bathroom first, Remus, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione all got ready for bed and dozed off in their respective rooms, with Harry and Hermione still sharing the second spare bedroom. Hermione was not normally a light sleeper, but she awoke at around 1:30 in the morning to hear Harry thrashing about in bed and moaning. She realized that he was in the throes of a terrible nightmare and tried to wake him up. When Harry would not wake, she became alarmed and did the first thing she could think of; she ran down the hall to Sirius' room. She padded over to his bed and shook him slightly, saying "Sirius, wake up! Come on, wake up, it's important!"

            Sirius mumbled something incoherent and opened his eyes to find Hermione standing over him looking anxious. "Sirius, Harry's having a nightmare and I can't wake him up!" Instantly alert, Sirius leapt out of bed and followed Hermione back down the hall to find Harry still in his nightmare. Sirius shook him, lightly at first and then more roughly, calling his name. Harry suddenly regained consciousness, and he was shaking and pale in a cold sweat. Sirius pulled him into a hug, telling Harry that it would be all right and he was here now.

            Hermione, feeling that she probably shouldn't intrude, decided to go back to bed. Sirius sat on the edge of Harry's bed and held Harry's hands in his. "Harry, can you tell me about your dream? Does your scar hurt?" he asked, concerned. 

"My scar doesn't hurt, it's just the same nightmare I've been having. Well, mostly the same." Harry mumbled. 

"The same nightmare you've been having? Is it about the Third Task?" Sirius asked, softly. "Can you tell me about it?"

Harry nodded. "I keep hearing Voldemort saying 'Kill the spare' and the flash of green light, and Cedric laying there dead. Then Cedric gets up and says 'You killed me Harry, it's all your fault! It's your fault he's back! And this dream was different though; Uncle Vernon was there…" Harry trailed off, and said more quietly "I'm not sure I want to talk about that." 

Sirius nodded and simply pulled Harry into a tight embrace, telling him "Cedric's death wasn't your fault Harry. None of this is, not Voldemort's return and nothing that your uncle did to you is your fault." A few tears slid down Harry's cheek, and he choked back a sob. Sirius continued to hold him, rocking him gently back and forth and rubbing his back in a soothing motion. 

Remus stood in the doorway and silently watched this; he had been wakened by Sirius and Hermione running back down the hall and now knew why Harry hadn't been getting enough sleep. He went to fetch a goblet of Dreamless Sleep potion and came back to find that Harry was lying down and Sirius was gently stroking his hair. He quietly went over to the bed and asked "Harry? Are you feeling any better now?" Harry nodded, and Remus continued "Harry, I'd like you to drink this for me; it's a dreamless sleep potion. You really need to get a full night's sleep." He handed the goblet to Harry, who drained the potion without protest. His eyes immediately began to droop as he handed the cup back to Remus. Sirius pulled the covers more firmly around him and gently kissed his forehead. Remus put a hand on Sirius' shoulder, saying "Sirius, you can't stay in here; Harry won't have any more nightmares tonight, and you need your sleep just as much as he does." Sirius looked ready to argue about this, but desisted when he saw the stern expression on Remus' face. Remus and Sirius went back to their rooms, and everyone slept for the remainder of the night.

The next morning dawned brightly, with birds singing cheerfully outside. Remus and Sirius got up around 8, Remus started breakfast and Sirius went to check on Harry. He entered the room to find Harry fast asleep and Hermione awake and starting to head for the bathroom. "Good morning Hermione." he said. "How did Harry sleep the rest of the night? Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Hermione answered "I slept fine, and since he didn't wake me up I'm guessing that Harry did too." With that she headed out the door to the bathroom and Sirius went to go help with breakfast. Harry woke up around an hour later, and Hermione felt well enough to attempt a bowl of porridge and some orange juice. After they had all finished breakfast and gotten dressed, Remus Lupin set off for the Granger residence again. 

Part 8: Vaccines 

Mrs. Granger answered the door and immediately ushered him in. They sat down in the parlor and Remus assured Mrs. Granger that Hermione was doing well and would come back home in a few days. He continued, explaining that he needed to vaccinate several people against Hawthorne's flu, how the vaccine was produced, and that he needed to use some of Hermione's rare blood to create the much-needed vaccine, with their permission of course. Mrs. Granger explained that her husband was working at their dental practice today, but that she would agree to this and she was sure he would too. Remus thanked her profusely, saying that Hermione had already agreed to do this and he had only needed their permission. He assured Mrs. Granger that he would be back tomorrow, and Disapparated to the Burrow.

He arrived just as everyone was finishing breakfast and was cheerfully greeted by every member of the Weasley family. He offered to help with the washing up, and Mrs. Weasley insisted that he would not. He then informed Mrs. Weasley "I was just at the Granger's house and Mrs. Granger has agreed to let me make a vaccine using Hermione's blood. Remind me again, who hasn't been ill? Aside from Ron, that is." 

Mrs. Weasley replied "Ginny hasn't gotten sick, and neither have the twins. Or Ron."

Remus smiled and said "Right then, the twins, Ginny, and of course Ron will be spending the day at my house."

Mrs. Weasley turned to Ginny, Fred, George, and Ron and told them "The four of you are going to Remus Lupin's house today; Harry and Hermione could use some company, and Remus has also agreed to vaccinate the lot of you against Hawthorne's flu."

Ron paled slightly at this, and Fred and George looked puzzled. "Weren't you telling us that that vaccine is hard to come by?" asked George. "Yes, I remember you lamenting about that when Charlie and Percy came down with it at the same time."

Remus pointed out the reason why the vaccine was so scarce, and how he had come by the materials for it. Mrs. Weasley then said that they should leave soon and that she had work to do around the house anyway. "And," she added, "It will be much easier to get done with less of you in the house. Especially you." Looking pointedly at Fred and George. 

"Why Mum, we're hurt." Fred lamented dramatically, grinning. 

"Our own mother doesn't want us. How tragic." seconded George. 

"Go on then, I'm sure Harry will be pleased to see you." Said Mrs. Weasley, smiling at Fred and George. She handed them the pot of Floo Powder. "Here. You're going to Lupin's Den."

One spinning trip through the Floo Network later, the five of them popped out of the fireplace in the living room. Sirius was flipping through several letters and looked up as they arrived. 'Oh good, you're back, Moony. Arabella's written us back, and so have Mundungus and Minerva. We'll-" Sirius cut off, noticing that they had visitors. He greeted them all warmly, and Fred and George were now staring at him slightly. 

"Did you just say 'Moony?'" asked Fred.

"Yes…" said Sirius, slowly. "Why do you ask?"

Fred and George exchanged wide grins. "And would you, by any chance, happen to be Padfoot?" asked George.

"Yes, I am." Said Sirius, surprised that they knew of the Marauder's old nicknames. "How did you know that?"

"Wicked!" breathed Fred and George in unison. 

Remus was curious to how they knew about the Marauders as well, and said as much. "Well," started Fred, "We know about the Marauders mainly because of the Marauder's Map."

"How do you two know about that?" asked Sirius, frowning. 

"Didn't Harry ever explain how he got ahold of it?" George asked. Remus and Sirius said that he hadn't, and Fred continued. "Well, we gave it to him in his third year, our fifth year. We'd had it since our first year, and it took us the better part of three months to figure out how to work it, too."

Remus was now smiling at them. "Would I get an answer if I asked just how you two came about acquiring it? I happen to know that Mr. Filch confiscated it in our seventh year."

Fred and George were now grinning. "Well, as I said, we found it in our first year. We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it bothered Filch for some reason. So, he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual- detention, hanging by the ankles from the ceiling, and so forth, when we noticed a drawer in his filing cabinet marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

Sirius was grinning by now, too. "Don't tell me- one of you caused a diversion, and the other nicked the Map from the drawer." Fred and George were now staring at him. Sirius shrugged and simply said "Well, you know what they say about great minds thinking alike and all that."

Remus interjected "As much as I'm enjoying this little conversation, I need to check on Harry and Hermione and start on the vaccine. It'll take a couple of hours to prepare, so feel free to make yourselves at home."  Fred and George were instantly immersed in a conversation with Sirius about pranks, old and new, and ideas they'd had. After a few minutes, Harry came out into the living room where he was greeted exuberantly by Fred, George, and Ron, and somewhat less exuberantly by Ginny. Harry struck up a conversation about how the joke shop was going, and Ginny went to go see Hermione. 

She found Hermione sitting up in bed, skimming through One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, researching something for her Herbology essay. She looked up when Ginny came in the room, and set her book down on her lap.

"Ginny! What are you doing here? How has your summer been going?" she exclaimed.

"I'm doing just fine." Ginny replied. "Ron, the twins and I are spending the day here; Mum told us Professor Lupin has the vaccine for Hawthorne's flu. My summer's been okay, except that Fred and George are inventing nonstop now. I've had my hair turn purple, my feet have sprouted green hair, and plenty of other things besides. I guess you haven't had such a good summer, have you, what with being sick and all?"

Hermione made a face. "Yeah, it does suck having the flu, and I can safely say that, having had both kinds, the magical sort feels worse."

"I can sympathize." Ginny said. "I've had this before, and half of us have had it this summer. Charlie and Percy caught it at the same time; and you won't believe how much of a baby Percy can be when he's sick!" 

Hermione grinned. "You should see my dad when he's ill. He mopes around all day complaining; Mum can't stand it!"

Remus came into the room in time to hear their discussion on various family members. "Hello there girls, how are you doing?" Ginny and Hermione said hello, and Remus continued. "If you think that's bad, you should have seen Sirius when he was at school and ill. Madam Pomfrey had her hands full with him, I can tell you. He never liked going to the infirmary; James and I had to practically drag him there. He was of the opinion that if he hadn't broken anything and he wasn't missing any body parts, he was fine."

Ginny smiled and remarked "Sounds like Fred and George. I'm guessing that's one of the reasons why she wants them vaccinated, so she doesn't have to deal with them when they're sick!"

Remus grinned and said "Yes, that's probably a major reason." Setting down the things he had been carrying, he continued "Now then, your parents have agreed to let me use some of your blood to make the vaccine Hermione. Have you had blood drawn before?" 

Hermione nodded and said "Yes, several times. I've never had blood drawn by Madam Pomfrey though, just by the Muggle doctor." 

            "Well, there's no real difference in the wizarding world; this is what I'll be using." Remus said, holding up a small container with a needle attached to a short length of tubing. "If you'd like to stay Ginny, you may, although it's up to Hermione."

            "Ginny can stay; she can distract me. I'm not deathly afraid of needles but I'm not that fond of them either." Hermione said.

            Ginny smiled and held Hermione's hand while Remus rolled up her left sleeve and swabbed her arm with alcohol. "You should see Ron- he can't stand needles. The last time we had to go in for inoculations, when he was ten, he screamed like a banshee when the nurse came at him with the needle. Fred and George still tease him about it."

            Remus swiftly inserted the needle in her arm, and Hermione flinched. He quickly finished, placed a band-aid on the small puncture, and patted her shoulder. "All done. Now, I'm going to need to make sure that Sirius and the four Weasleys don't already have Hawthorne's flu, and then I'll make the vaccine. It'll take about two hours to make, all told. And as long as you're already in here Ginny, I can start with you. You can stay sitting where you are, this won't take a minute."

            Remus quickly looked at Ginny's eyes and throat and found no trace of purple in either. He felt her forehead, and announced "You're perfectly fine; I'll go check the others." He left, taking his equipment with him. He started the vaccine, and went to check the others in the living room. Sirius, Ron, Fred, George, and Harry were all embroiled in a heated debate about Quidditch and looked up as Remus walked into the room. "Well, I've started the vaccine, it still has to finish simmering and then has to chill for a half-hour. While I'm waiting, I need to have a look at all of you except Harry to make sure you don't already have the flu. I've already seen to Ginny; she's fine. Sirius, you're next." 

Remus pulled one of the armchairs into a corner and cast a privacy spell around it, and Sirius went and sat down. Remus shortly proclaimed him fine, and Sirius sat back down on the sofa next to Harry. Remus looked around the screen and said "Who's next?" The three brothers proceeded to all point at the others. Remus sighed. "All right Ron, you're next." Ron was found to be perfectly fine, and the process was repeated with Fred and George. 

Remus then went and finished the vaccine, with Ron looking more and more nervous. Fred and George noticed, and both clapped Ron on the back, George saying "Buck up, mate; it isn't so bad." 

"Yes, if you try anything like the last time you had to go for vaccinations we'll be sure to tease you about it for another five years." Added Fred. 

Remus had finished the vaccine by now, and decided to once again see to Ginny first. He came into the bedroom where Hermione and Ginny were still to be found chatting, but ceased when Remus entered. "The vaccine is done, and I decided I'd get to you first before I had to tackle the boys in the living room." Ginny looked at Hermione and grinned. 

"Guess it's your turn to distract me now Hermione; to tell the truth I've never been that fond of needles either." Hermione held Ginny's hand until Remus was finished, and Ginny called out as he was leaving the room "Good luck with Ron!" 

The conversation in the living room also stopped as Remus came into the room and set the tray holding four syringes down on the bookshelf next to the chair. He came back around the screen that still surrounded the chair and said "All right, who's going to be the bigger man and go first?"

The Weasley brothers all pointed at each other again, and Sirius got up with a sigh. "I suppose that would be me, then." He went behind the screen, and came out a minute later rubbing his arm. "Honestly Moony, I think you enjoyed that."

Remus stuck his head around and asked "Okay, which of the twins is next?" Fred and George conferred for a minute before deciding to flip a coin for it. Ron grinned. 

"Can't tease me now, can you?" he said. 

Fred lost the coin toss, and George remarked "Hey, we're not scared like you are, but that doesn't mean we have to be jumping for joy about this." Fred came back and sent George behind, and then it was Ron's turn. Remus called him over, noticing that he didn't want to get up. 

"Can't we not do this and say we did?" he pleaded. 

Remus smiled and said "Ron, I know you don't want to do this, but it's necessary. Plus, I don't want to face the wrath of Molly Weasley, so come on." Sirius got up and together they hauled Ron off the sofa and onto the chair behind the screen. Remus rolled Ron's sleeve up, and Ron tensed.

Sirius grinned. "Tell you what, I know a good story that I can distract you with. I remember in our second year, there was a huge outbreak of a particularly nasty virus among the students; another magical one; I forget exactly which, and all of the muggle-born kids who hadn't had it had to be inoculated by Madam Pomfrey. I'm muggle-born myself, and so is" and here he grimaced "Peter. Now, you'd be surprised at how many people tried to get out of having to be vaccinated. Most of the people were first or second years, so Madam Pomfrey had her hands full trying to find people. There were people hiding in the Astronomy Tower, under beds. One girl tried to hide in Hagrid's pumpkin patch, I believe. Anyway, as much as I hate to draw comparisons with him, Peter was as deathly afraid of needles as you are. At any rate, he had the truly brilliant idea to try and hide in one of the trees by the lake. He never was the smartest of the bunch, and long story short we found him after he had fallen out of the tree and twisted his ankle. So he had to go to the hospital wing anyway, and Madam Pomfrey managed to give him his inoculation at the same time." While Sirius had Ron's attention, Remus quickly administered the injection and put a band-aid on Ron's arm.

"There, I'm finished." Remus said, smiling. "Hardly felt a thing, did you? And by the way, that story was completely true. Although Sirius did leave out the part where James and I had to go with him because he didn't want to go to Madam Pomfrey either."

Remus disabled the privacy screen as Sirius indignantly pointed out "Hey, at least I didn't try to hide in a tree. And as Fred so eloquently put it, I wasn't as scared as he was, but I didn't have to be jumping for joy about it."

Ron unsteadily got to his feet and then immediately sat back down again. Remus put a hand on his shoulder and said "Are you feeling dizzy?" Ron nodded. "That can happen; you just sit there for a few minutes until your head clears." He went to go put his equipment away, and came back a minute later. Ron, Fred, and George were arguing about something or other, and Harry and Sirius were watching them, amused. Everyone spent the rest of the day chatting and playing games, while Remus and Sirius caught up on their correspondence. 

Revised A/N: As regards all of the stuff about the vaccine and all of that- I'm going on a limited amount of medical knowledge here, so chalk the rest up to artistic license. I humbly apologize, but in the year or so that this fic has languished in the bowels of ff.net, I have yet to come up with a good way to end it. Therefore, unless I can get a really good suggestion on how to wrap this up, this fic will have to remain uncompleted. It was just my first attempt at fanfiction anway; I wasn't really thinking about the plot too much, so this is just a one-shot fic. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and be sure to check out my latest fic! It's complete, I promise you; I spent all summer writing it. I've also written a few slash MSTs for those of you who like that sort of thing, and can be found at the Slash_Grievances Yahoo! Group under the same pen name.


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